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Barcelona have finally decided to part ways with manager Ronald Koeman following their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Rayo Vallecano which has left them ninth in the La Liga standings.
The defeat meant Blaugrana are now six points behind league leaders Real Madrid after 10 matches and trail the likes of Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano, Real Sociedad and Osasuna in the table.
The Catalan giants are also struggling in the Champions League, having picked up just three points from their first three matches. Barcelona lost their first two Champions League games 3-0, against Bayern Munich and SL Benfica respectively.
The Catalan giants are now looking for a new manager. Club legend Xavi Hernandez is reportedly the favorite to take over from Ronald Koeman.
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According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Xavi is eager to return to his boyhood club as a manager. The club hierarchy had reportedly started the negotiation process with the former midfielder and Al-Sadd weeks ago.
Apart from Xavi, current Belgium national team manager Roberto Martinez has also been linked with the Barcelona managerial position. The former Wigan manager was deemed the club's primary target earlier this year. However, Xavi is now the outright favorite for the job.
Xavi will be a welcome appointment as far as the Blaugrana are concerned. Former players like Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola have been highly successful as managers and Barcelona fans would hope Xavi can follow in their footsteps.
Ronald Koeman's time at Barcelona was destined to be a failure
Ronald Koeman was always under threat of losing his job after a poor 2020-21 season. The former Netherlands manager only managed to guide Barcelona to the Copa Del Rey title last season. The Catalan giants finished third in the La Liga standings, behind rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. They were knocked out of the Champions League round of 16 to capp off a dismal year for a club of Barcelona's standards.
Ronald Koeman was then given the near-impossible task of keeping the squad motivated following Lionel Messi's departure in the summmer transfer window. The club's financial troubles and a lack of investment in the squad made things even trickier for the 58-year-old.
Blaugrana fans on Twitter seemed pleased with Koeman's sacking following a disappointing start to the 2021-22 season. Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter following Ronald Koeman's sacking and the possible arrival of Xavi Hernandez:
